The emphasis is on current knowledge and how it may be adapted to future problems of all those engaged in producing, processing, and marketing agricultural products. The??program is implemented by selecting one of the three following options:

Option One: Thesis

In addition to 32 hours of course work, students who pursue this option will be required to write a thesis and must be actively engaged in an acceptable research program. Students must have a score of at least 300 on both the verbal portion and quantitative portions of the GRE before they will be admitted to candidacy.

Students with a GRE score less than 300 verbal or quantitative can petition the graduate faculty of the School of Agricultural Sciences for waiver of the GRE requirement.

The school graduate advisor, together with each student pursuing this option, will appoint an advisory committee consisting of a thesis advisor, who will direct the research of the student, a second faculty member from agriculture, and a faculty member from a field related to the student's program. The advisory committee will assist the student in planning the research program and will conduct an oral examination of the student over the thesis upon completion of the student's research project. The student must also take a written comprehensive examination over his or her coursework.

Option Two: Scholarly Paper

In addition to 32 hours of coursework, students pursuing this option will be required to write a paper and must be actively engaged in an acceptable project program. Students must have a score of at least 300 on both the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE before they will be admitted to candidacy.

Students having GRE scores less than 300 verbal or quantitative can petition the graduate faculty of the School of Agricultural Sciences for waiver of the GRE requirement.

The school graduate advisor, together with each student pursuing this degree option, will appoint an advisory committee consisting of a scholarly paper advisor, who will direct the student in the construction of his or her paper, a second faculty member from agriculture, and a faculty member from a field related to the student's program. The advisory committee will assist the student with the construction and structure of his or her scholarly paper. The student must take a written comprehensive examination over his or her coursework.

Option Three: Coursework

Students must have a score of at least 250 on both the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE before they will be admitted to candidacy. Students with a GRE of less than 250 verbal or quantitative can petition the graduate faculty of the School of Agricultural Sciences for waiver of the GRE requirement.

A student must enroll in 9 credit hours outside of agriculture, which forms a collateral field supportive of the student's interest in agriculture. The student must maintain a "B" or better GPA in the collateral field. The student must complete a total of 32 credit hours of coursework.

The school graduate advisor will assist the student in planning his or her program. The student must take the written comprehensive examination over his or her coursework.